Warsaw

That Warsaw has survived the 20th century to flourish in the 21st is nothing short of incredible. Need proof? Well, consider the fact that many of its most notable contemporary attractions are the direct result of some of its darkest historical moments: a completely rebuilt “Old Town” whose original architecture was annihilated in a vengeful fit of Nazi occupation; a contentious “Palace of Culture” building that stood for nearly 4 decades as the flagship of Soviet Communism in Poland. Suffice to say, locals here don’t need to dig too deeply to unearth the kinds of scars that would make most other cities’ problems seem like a few rainy days in Disney Land. But luckily for all of us, this is not a city bent on languishing in past tragedies. On the contrary, today’s Warsaw is a bustling hub of culture, commerce and entertainment, poised to continue this cosmopolitan transformation well into the future. Think of it as Europe’s Rocky Balboa.

One of the most visible manifestations of this “rebirth” can be seen in the city’s skyline, which is now dotted with 21st century high-rises like the InterContinental Warsaw and the glass-encased Rondo 1. Not exactly Stalin-inspired, wouldn’t you say? Zoom in a little closer and you’ll start to make out vibrant entertainment centers amid the cityscape. Take the club-happy Mazowiecka Street and the Brooklyn-esque Praga District for example: two different but equally energetic areas where the young and artistic continue to make their presence felt in a colorfully palpable way. Throw in a few internationally lauded bonanzas like August’s Chopin Festival and October’s increasingly influential Warsaw Film Festival and what you’re left with is a city that stands in almost unrecognizable contrast to the cold gray-bloc metropolis of yesteryear.

But while Warsaw’s attitude and architecture may be changing for the better, its surrounding natural landscape remains (for adventure seekers, anyway) as lackluster as ever. The gentle Vistula, the leisurely Zegrzynski Lake; absent Kampinoski National Park’s varied geography and wildlife, this is about as exciting as things get around the Polish capital. Those with aspirations of ascending mountaintops or swimming Baltic coastlines will likely be setting their sights on other parts of the country, but this shouldn’t detract too much from the overall Varsovian experience. There’s enough city-based excitement here to make your visit an experience worth telling your friends about.